MONTPELIER — Vermont’s Nongame Wildlife Fund is essential to the conservation and restoration of some of Vermont’s most at-risk wildlife, like the lake sturgeon and Northern long-eared bat. Thanks to a checkoff option on the Vermont state income tax form, donating to the fund is easy and impactful.

“Every dollar Vermonters donate to Nongame Wildlife Fund on their taxes is nearly tripled,” says Rosalind Renfrew, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Diversity Program Manager. “Donations are leveraged by matching federal grants, meaning that every dollar donated secures another $2 in federal funds for Vermont’s wildlife.”

For over 35 years Vermont’s Nongame Tax Checkoff has been helping to recover species that were once on the brink of extinction in Vermont, like the common loon, osprey, and peregrine falcon. Most recently, the bald eagle was removed from Vermont’s list of endangered species in 2022. The Nongame Wildlife Fund supported years of monitoring and nest protection to ensure that eagle numbers were robust enough to declare the species recovered.

“Nongame Checkoff donations have made possible some of our greatest conservation success stories, and they continue to fund front-line work on behalf of our most at-risk species,” said Renfrew. “Last year saw species like the Eastern meadowlark and rue anemone wildflower added to Vermont’s threatened and endangered species list. The Nongame Checkoff is one of the most direct ways Vermonters can conserve Vermont’s biodiversity.”